So, here we are, one year post a crazy year of the COVID lockdowns, the pandemic that followed and the in-custody death and protests following the death of George Floyd. The pause button was hit on life, and for many of us, we couldn’t hit the fast-forward button quick enough. Like everything in life, lessons are learned from our struggles, and the hard times pass.

In regards to COVID and the LVPPA and LVMPD, we are still continuing our negotiations, grievance hearings and litigation around LVMPD’s interpretation and implementation of policies regarding COVID protocols. There will undoubtedly be ground-breaking litigation and decisions locally and on the national level regarding labor and management rights. LVMPD and Clark County continue to host vaccination locations for employees. The CDC continues to evaluate and change protocols on COVID standards and restrictions. As you have seen, within days, LVMPD and the state of Nevada, along with local leaders, have followed the lead of the CDC by adjusting restrictions and workplace requirements.

The 2021 Nevada Legislative Session just concluded. As we saw in the Nevada Legislative Special Session following the protests and riots following the death of George Floyd, police reform was a major topic for legislators in Carson City. Steve Grammas, Scott Nicholas, John Abel and Troyce Krumme from the PMSA lived and worked their tails off during the session. Their hard work and relationships with legislators were key in providing testimony, statistics and real-world implications on pending legislation.

So far this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, there have been 147 police officers killed in the line of duty this year. Last year, there were 364 police officers killed in the line of duty. Not surprisingly, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of deaths across the country, with 33 officers losing their lives in accidents. This is a very solemn reminder to us all that we are in our vehicles the vast majority of our shifts, and if we don’t arrive, we can’t assist. Violent assaults and gunfire by suspects have killed 26 police officers. The most troubling statistic, and not properly tracked, is police suicides of active and retired officers. There are many resources that LVMPD, as well as PEAP and UMR, has to help those in need. Friends and co-workers would much rather spend time together listening versus attending a funeral. Help for anyone is at your fingertips.

LVPPA events are back! Adella Solano has done a great job getting events lined up and off and running. It has been a long time coming, and we are working hard on future events and ways to bring our members together. So far, we have hosted an Easter event, a VGK viewing party and two Aviators games. At the time of writing this, we are preparing hard for the first-ever all-day-long summer bash on June 19. That event will have had a DJ, band, food, drinks, all-day fun for the family, squad and individual games and a demonstration for the family by SWAT and K-9. Also, we will be selling raffle tickets for merchandise and prizes, with the proceeds going to our PAC. We hope to see you at a future event, and we are always available 24/7 for you. Thank you for your membership and support.